Nail puller for use on corrugated sheets



J. F. HEDEMARK NAIL PULLER FOR USE ON CORRUGATED SHEETS Feb. 6, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 5, 1967 Jack 22372 MM Feb. 6, 1968 J. F. HEDEMARK 3,36

NAIL FULLER FOR USE ON CORRUGATED SHEETS Filed April 3, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fia.4

FIG. 5

INVENTOR.

Jack f Qdemor United States Patent Patented Feb. 6, 1958 ice ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Nails are removed from corrugated sheet material by means of a claw ended bar pivoted on a down-facing channel that has flanges that ride in the valleys of the sheet while the web of the channel clears the ridge between such valleys and the claw operates on the heads of nails thru a slot in the channels web under the actuation of a handle end of such bar.

Background of the invention The present invention relates to a nail puller for use in pulling the nails that hold a corrugated or ribbed sheet to the roof or sides of a building. Such sheets may be made of metal or plastic. If properly located, the nails are always placed along the apex of a rib of the exposed side of such a sheet.

The nails holding a ribbed sheet to a building may be removed by means of an ordinary claw hammer but as most of such sheets are made of relatively thin material and the nails are in the apices of the ribs, pivoting the hammer on its claw face in the usual manner of pulling a nail, results in suflicient pressure against the rib to crush it. Such crushing of the ribs renders the sheets unfit for reuse. Blocks having faces conforming to the corrugated surface and various bridging devices have been used as a rest for the claw face when pulling nails from corrugated sheets. However, such devices are composed of two separate pieces that require considerable manipulation for their coordinated use.

Summary of the invention Thus it is an object of the present invention to devise a unitary tool that may be positioned on a corrugated sheet for the extraction of a nail holding such sheet to a structure, which will bear against the sheet only in the valleys between the ridges thereof, and which may be easily operated to engage the head of such nail and extract it from the structure and the sheet without deformation of or damage to the sheet.

A further object of the invention is the construction of such a tool so that it is light in weight, and compact both when being used and when not in use and being stored in a tool box.

A tool embodying the present invention, obviating the mentioned defects of the prior art, and achieving the above objects is formed with a channel shaped base that is of a width so that when it is placed on a corrugated sheet, its web will span one of the sheets corrugations with each of its webs flanges having an edge bearing on the sheet between corrugations, and the flanges are deep enough so that the web is spaced slightly from the apices of the corrugations. The forward end of the web is extended in a roll above the web. The web is medially longitudinally slotted. Upstanding ears medially between the ends of the web pivotally support a bar having a long handle to one side of the pivot and a short claw to the other side thereof. The claw can pivot thru the slot and engage around a nail and under its head. Downward movement of the handle when the claw is engaged with the nail head, extracts the nail. For stowage, the bar is removed from the ears and placed below the web between the flanges with the claw upward inside of the forward roll of the web. In this position the bar is pivotally supported at the previously mentioned pivot and to and between the flanges. However, in this latter position the bar is held against substantial pivotal movement by being blocked by the underside of the web.

Brief description of the drawings A nail puller as outlined above is hereinafter described in detail and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of a nail puller for use on corrugated sheets, that embodies the features of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the device illustrated in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view of the device of FIG- URES 1 and 2, and includes a showing of the bar in two positions.

FIGURE 4 is a section of the line 33 of FIGURE 3, with a nail and a portion of corrugated material added in working relation to the nail puller.

FIGURE 5 is an elevational view of the device shown in the other figures but with the bar stowed below the web and between the flanges.

Description of the preferred embodiment In FIGURES l to 4, inclusive, the nail puller bar 11 is shown pivotally mounted to the outside of an elongated channel 12 having its web 13 upward and its flanges 14, 15 extending downward. The bar 11 is formed with a pivot pin boss 17 below the bar and close to one end thereof. The boss is formed with a pin opening 18 therethtu for the sliding fit of a pivot pin 19. The boss 17 divides the bar into two parts, the short length claw 21 and the long handle 22 terminating in a cross grip 23, or T-head. The claw is in the form of a bifurcated end of the handle that tapers to a sharp edge at the tip and sharp edges along the inner opposed edges of the bifurcation so that the claw may be easily forced under the head of and around the shank of a nail when the claw and handle are in the dotted line position 24 of FIGURE 3. Integral with the web and extending upward from its upper surface medially of the ends thereof are four ears 26 that have axially aligned openings 27 therethru for reception therein of the bars pivot pin 19. There is one of the cars at each edge of the web and one at each side of a slot 28 that extends medially and longitudinally of most of the length of the web. The slot is of a width to allow passage of the claw 21. The pivot pin 19 is headed on one end and the underside of the head bears against the outside of one of the outside ears 26 with the other end of the shank of the pin extending thru the aligned openings 27 and slightly beyond the outside of the other outside ear where the pin is provided with a hole therethru for the reception of a cotter key so that the pin will be retained in the ears and the bar boss by such pins head and cotter key.

The forward end 29 of the web 13 extends beyond the flanges 14, 15 and is curved upward and downward in a roll that is above the rest of the web between and secured to the flanges. This roll is used as a handle for the Web and as a guard for the sharp edge of the claw when the bar 11 is in its stowage position. In this position, as illustrated in FIGURE 5, the bar is placed below the web 13 and between the flanges 14, 15 with the claw inside of the forward roll 29 of the web. The bar 11 is held in the stowage position by the pin 19 being inserted thru the bars pivot boss opening 18 and thru aligned openings 3t), one in each of the flanges 14, 15 adjacent their forward ends.

The disclosed nail puller is used by placing it on a corrugated sheet 31 as illustrated in FIGURE 4 so that the edges of the flanges 14, 15 ride in the valleys 32 at each side of a ridge 33 of the sheet with the slot 28 in the web 13 extending along the crest of the ridge. The tool is moved along the ridge until a nail head of a nail 34- is contiguous with the sharp forward edges of claw 21 when the handle 22 is raised to its dotted line position 24, The claw is then forced down against the ridge and forward to slide the claw under the head of the nail. The sheet 31 and ridge 33 are flexible enough so that this maneuver can be easily made. Once the claw is under the nails head, the handle is moved toward the channel and the nail is extracted thru the sheet. Forcing the claw into engagement under the nail head is facilitated by the operator of the device grasping the handle grip 23 with one hand and the channel handle 29 with the other hand. Other than the slight pressure on the ridge to engage the claw under the nail head, there is no pressure on the ridge in accomplishing the extraction of the nail. All the pressure comes in the bottom of the valleys, and this is well distributed by the long edges of the flanges 14, 15. There is no deformation of the corrugations such as would render the sheet unfit for reuse.

Having thus described an embodiment of my invention, its construction and use, I claim:

1. A nail puller for use on corrugated sheets, compromising: an elongated web having sides and ends and a flange integral with said web at each side and downward thereof, said web and flanges forming a channel, said Web formed with a longitudinal slot medially between, parallel to said flanges, and thru said web, upward from said flanges and medially between the ends of said webs, an ear at each side of said slot, and pivotally supported by and between said cars a bar having to one side of said ears a handle portion that is long with respect to another portion at the other side of said ears that is in the form of a bifurcated claw that upon movement of said handle will move thru said slot for engagement under the head of a nail and for then moving said nail thru said slot.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which said web is extended upward from said flanges at one end of said web, said upward extension of said web being at the end forward of said claw.

3. The combination of claim 2 in which said ears are directly above said flanges and said flanges are formed adjacent said upward extension of said web for pivotally supporting said bar so that said claw is guarded by said extension when said bar is below said web.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,167,660 1/1916 Rolph 25436 1,317,156 9/1919 Diamond 254l8 1,782,506 11/1930 Henderson 254-27 MILTON S. MEHR, Primary Examiner. 

